Miter-clamp.



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No. 879,547. PATENTED FEB. 1a, 1908.

MI 0L THOMAS B. HOLTER, OF BLOOMSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

MITER-CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1908.

Application filed May 31. 1906. Serial No. 319.630.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS B. HOLTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bloomsburg, in the county of Columbia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Miter-Clamp, of which the following is a specification.-

This invention relates to miter clamps and has for its object to provide improved means for clamping and holding the mitered ends of molding strips, picture-frames and the like in contact with each other preparatory to' nailing, gluing or otherwise permanently securing the same. i

A further object of the invention is to provide a clamp having angularly disposed guiding arms adapted to engage the mitered ends of the molding and further to provide a pair of clamping jaws adapted to engage and force the mitered ends of the molding together.

A still further object of the invention is to generally improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efiiciency as well as to reduce the cost of manufacture.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the ap ended claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification: Figure l is a perspective view of a miter clamp constructed in accordance with my invention showing the adjacent ends of the molding strips forced together and in position to be glued, nailed or otherwise permanently secured. Fig. 2 is a top plan view showing the clamping jaws in open position. Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. 4 is a top plan view illustrating a modified form of the invention. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of Fig. 4:. Fig. 6 is a top plan view illustrating a further modified form of the invention. Fig. 7 is an end elevation of Fig.6. Fig. 8 is a top plan view illustrating a still further modification. Fig. 9 is a similar view showing the jaws in closed or operative position. Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 1010 of Fig. 9.

Similar numerals of reference indicate cor- 6 adapted to engage the mitered ends 7 of the molding strips 8, said arms being provided with a plurality of sets of spaced lugs or ears indicated at 9, 10 and 11. Pivoted at 12 between the spaced lugs 9 and 11 are clamping members or jaws 13 each provided with a terminal point or spur 14 which passes through an elongated slot or opening 15 in angularly disposed arms for engagement with the adjacent edge of the molding strips when said members are nioved to operative position, the opposite ends of the members being connected through the medium of links or bars 16 and 16 to an operating handle 17. The operating handle 17 is pivotally mounted for swinging movement between the spaced lugs 10 as indicated at 18 while the links 15 and 16 are pivoted one on each side of the pivot pin as indicated at 20. It will thus be seen that when the mitered ends of the molding strips 8 are placed in position between the angularly disposed arms of the casting and the handle 17 swung laterally to the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing the bills of the clamping jaws 13 will pierce the adjacent walls of the molding strips and thus force the mitered ends of the latter in contact with each other so as to permit the same to be conveniently nailed, glued or otherwise permanently secured together.

Attention is called to the fact that the intermediate portion of the operating lever 17 is bowed laterally as indicated at 21 so that when the handle is swung laterally to operative position the free end of said handle will extend below the pivots 18 and 20 thus locking the jaws in operative position and effectually preventing accidental displacement of the molding strips during the gluing or nailing operation.

In order to release the molding it is merely necessary to move the operating handle laterally to the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings when the bills of the clamping members will be withdrawn from the molding thus permitting the clamp to be readily detached from said molding.

In Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawing, there is illustrated a modified form of the invention in which the slots or openings 14 are formed in a bead or flange 22 extending vertically from the angularly disposed guiding arms.

In this form of the device a single lug 9 extends laterally from each of the guiding arms for pivotal connection with the clamping jaws, there being a similar lug 10 disposed at the juncture of the arms on which is pivotally mounted the operating handle as shown.

In Figs. 6 and '7 the slots or openings 15' are arranged in staggered relation while the clamping jaws are pivoted on opposite sides of the lateral lugs so as to permit the points or spurs of said jaws to pass through the slots and engage the molding strips when the handle is operated. A further modification is illustrated in Figs. 8 to 10 inclusive in which the clamp is formed with a base plate 24 having angularly disposed ribs or arms 25, spaced inwardly from the forward edge 26 thereof to produce a recess or pocket for the reception of the adjacent ends of the molding strip thus forming an extended bearing surface for engagement with the latter. The ribs 25 terminateshort of the adjacent side edges of the base plate to ermit the passage of the pointed ends of the c amping member 13, the clamp being otherwise similar in construction to the clamp illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

The clamp may be made in different sizes and shapes and formed of wood, metal or other suitable material.

From the foregoing description it is thought that the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood by those skilled in the art and further description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

A clamp comprising a substantially tri-angular shaped base having angularly disposed perforated arms adapted to engage the mitered ends of the strips to be united and provided with a plurality of sets of spaced lugs, the central set of lugs being disposed at the juncture of said arms and extended beyond the adjacent sets of lugs, clamping jaws having their intermediate ortions pivoted between the outer sets of lugs and provided at their inner ends with terminal spurs pass ing through the perforations in the arms for engagement with the adjacent edges of the strips, a lever pivotally mounted for swinging movement between the lugs of the central set and having its intermediate portion curved laterally and its free end terminating in an operating handle, and links forming a pivotal connection between the outer ends of the clamping jaws and the pivoted end of the operating lever, the pivot pins of the links and handle being dis osed in alinement with each other when sai handle is moved to operative position, thereby to lock the spurs in engagement with the strips.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

T. B. HOLTER.

Witnesses:

OLEM R. WEISS, H. G. SUPPLEE. 

